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I am a huge Laurie Halse Anderson fan. Just ask my kids from last year how often I recommended Fever 1793 to them. I loved Independent Dames: What You Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution when I reviewed it back in May, and I can’t wait to use it when I introduce our women’s history project this year. And I still remember reading Speak for the first time in junior high (and I keep meaning to reread it). As you can imagine, I was thrilled when I heard that Anderson would be publishing a new historical fiction novel this month and even more thrilled when my school librarian tracked down an ARC for me!

In 1776, Isabel is a young slave (about 11?). She and her little sister, Ruth, live in Rhode Island and Isabel dreams of the day they will be free. Their master, Miss Finch, has promised them freedom upon her death, but when the time comes her lawyer has fled the sporadic battles between the Loyalists and Patriots. Miss Finch’s greedy young nephew quickly sells the girls off to a wealthy Loyalist and his cruel wife. Isabel and Ruth are sent to New York City, ophaned, alone, and at the mercy of the cruel Mrs. Lockton.

When they arrive in New York City, Isabel immediately meets a young slave named Curzon, who convinces her that the quickest way to freedom is to spy on her Loyalist master and report to the Patriots.

Ruth is “simple” and Isabel spends much of her time hiding her sister’s episodes from Mrs. Lockton. But when they are discovered, she is thought to be possessed by the devil and Mrs. Lockton immediately sells her off. Thus begins Isabel’s moral struggle- who should she support? More importantly, which side will help her become free and find her sister? She has no particularly strong feelings for the Patriots or the Loyalists- she only wants her own freedom. Sadly, both sides fail to take slaves into account, using them as tools rather than people: messengers, spies, soldiers, cooks, and everything in between.

It’s difficult to do the plot justice in a brief recap. There is so much going on, yet the reader never feels overwhelmed. I found myself putting the book down after a chapter and going back to it later on. Oh no, no because I wasn’t enjoying it! Because I didn’t want the book to end. I was digesting it in small pieces, constantly mulling ideas and events over in my mind. Anderson does nothing if she doesn’t force you to think, really think about the American Revolutionary War. I frequently found myself torn between the British and the Colonists, for Isabel’s sake. I can honestly say I have never really sat down to consider the Revolutionary War. We grow up romanticizing the fight for independence and history books rarely qualify or quantify the people who were chained between the two sides, forced to choose and getting nothing in return. Wow!

Isabel’s voice rings true to the times, without being overwhelming. The book reads like a story set in 1776 without being dry or difficult to understand. In historical fiction that is extremely important. If kids feel overwhelmed by dialogue, accents, or vernacular it is that much harder to get them to read and enjoy the book.

What really makes me happy is how kid-friendly Chains is. I already promised my students that we would be using it as a read-aloud later in the year. As a teacher, I know it will push their thinking and I can already foresee the great conversations and debates we will have. But I also know that they will genuinely enjoy the book. Anderson has a gift- she makes history come alive and she makes it fun. Yet I still come away from her historical fiction books knowing more than I did going in. I know the same will be true for my students.

I am sure Chains will be at the top of many Newbery prediction lists and it is certainly on mine. However, it should also begin making its way into school reading lists. It seems like the same old books have been around since I was in elementary school. My Brother Sam Is Dead and Johnny Tremain are both great books but I think Chains is more historically-accurate and kid-friendly. In NJ, the Revolutionary War is taught in 5th grade and I feel like Chains is just that much more kid-friendly and accessible while preserving (and exceeding) historical accuracy needs. So I am starting up the chant, “Here, here! Chains for the curriculum!”

[…] Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson- Our current read-aloud, my class and I love Chains! Isabelle is a complex, multi-faceted character and her conflict with the American Revolution has made us all stop and think of our fight for independence in new ways. See my review here. […]

[…] I could write a lengthy synopsis of the book here, but 1) I don't want to spoil it for everyone and 2) so many others have done so before me: Children's Book Reviews and Then Some, TeenReads.com, and The Reading Zone. […]

I am in middle school and just finished reading Chains for my book report. Our teacher only wanted us reading a certain amount each night so it would take us about three weeks to finish it and would not be ahead of anyone else. I made me mad because the is my all time favorite book and it uses so many of the literary devices and just kept you wanted to read more. I could have read the whole thing in a day if I had the time. The story really changes your thoughts to the right ones about how the Revolution really was.

i absolutely love this book! i just finished reading it for my summer reading project. i gotta admit, when I read the first page i was kind of shifty about it, but as i read i got more and more deeply involved in the book . it was GREAT

i like this book it is really good for anyone to read and i recommend YOU 2 READ IT :) one thing i dont like is the ending they never went back 4 ruth or did they ? o well Over all i think this book is interesting and enjoyable so have fun with this book

I found this vid related to chains so if you want to check it out type this on youtube and you will see the vid
Chains: The Music Video

[…] School Language Arts Classroom…It's My Blogiversary!Vista PrintThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsChains by Laurie Halse AndersonNuts and Bolts of the Read Aloud in my Middle School ClassroomAboutFound (The Missing Book 1) by […]